Boat top



W. SMWH BOAT rop Filed June 2G, w27

-5' @Heats-Sheet 1 lnvenor @Elim Marsh E9, E929. w. s. SMBTH E,7Q5,592

BOAT TOP Filed June 2o, 1927 s sheets-sneer 5 Lil) Patented ltr/lar. 19, 1929.

WALTER. s. sinrf'rz-r,

01T' DETROIT, LvICHIGrAN, ASSIGNOR T0 WGOD ENC., OF DE- l 'passez rra@ TRGIT, MICHIGAN, A C0.RP(ll/:L'JIONy 0F MICHIGAN.

Boar roy.

Application ledJnne 20, 1927. Serial No. 199,79.

which entrance into the cockpit is made.,

Further object-s of the invention are to Vprovide the top with many. improvements 1n the manner of detachably attaching the same to the boat, in safeguarding against entrance of water or spray and to generally provide a v completely practical and serviceable top with a flexible sliding door entrancewhich permits of a stream linecontour together with a maximum seating` capacity within the cockpit.

For an understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompaying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is Vfragmentary enlarged side elevation illustrating the top as it looks applied to a motor boat.

Fig. 2 is a plan view vof .the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged central longitudinal vertical section through the motor boat illustrating the top and the entrance opening with the iiexible closure therefor at the rear.

Fig. et is a fragmentary transverse vertical section substantially on the line Ll--ll of Fig. 1, looking forward as indicated by the arrows, and

5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, and 11 are fragmentary enlarged vertical ysections through portions of the top structure substantially on the planes of lines 5 5, 6 6, 7 7, 8 8, 9 9, 10 1O and 11 11, respectively, ofy Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer to Vlike parts in the different figures of the drawings.

rlhe motor boat may be of any desired construction having the usual hull 1 and cockpit 2, a forward deck 3 at the upper side of the boat extending in front of the cockpit and an after deck 4 back of the cockpit in which the seats for the occupants are located. rI'he after deck il, which in this case covers the engine compartment, is provided with hatch doors 4 The seats are lof any conventional type as in- 4of the top.

'dicated at 5 having. backs 6, preferably divided into sections, except that the back 7 for the middle sectionin the rear end of the cockpit has a hinged connection yindicated at 8, (see Fig. 3) so that this back middle section may be folded to the dotted lines position shown in Fig. 3 and lie against the seat 5 with which it is associated. l

At the front of the cockpit an open vertical v frame 9 is rigidly secured in which a windv and spray shield 10 of glass is located. This shield 10 ishingedly mounted at its upper edge on hinges 11 attached to theupper rail of the frame 9 so that the shield 10 may be swung outwardly and upwardly ,to a hori- Zontal position, as indicated in Fig. 1 0, for ay purpose which will later appear. 1

The top 12 of sedan type is located over the.` cockpit 2 andhas depending sides and back. At the inner side ot the coa'ming 13 .at each side of the cockpit a rail or-beam le (see Fig.

11) isy secured lying' above ank angle iron 15 c the vertical leg of which is permanently secured to the inner side of the coaniing 13.

Bolts 16 extend downwardly through alower parts 17 also serving as the lower frame niembers for glass 18 which is mounted in each side The bolts 17 pass through the rails 14 and the horizontal legs ofthe angles 15 and receive nuts 19 wherebythe depending sides of the top are permanently connected to the hull of the boat. rlhe y cockpit is lined with a suitable .lining20 and at its upper edges is equipped with suitable snap fasteners 21 to engage with complementary parts iiXed tothe inner sides ofthe rails 14. 19 is had by detaching the snap fasteners as is evident. y

' Thelower edge of the-depending back portion of the top has a strip 22 permanently attached to it, l this strip extending inwardly beyond the inner surface of the back and forming avlcdge. When the top is in position the strip 22 lies against the after deck l and bolts 16aextend through the ledge formed by the strip 2Q. and through the deck 4 and are provided withv nuts 19au and by means 'of the bolts and nuts the'back portion vof the ltop is secured to the deck. vAccess is had to the nuts Access to the nuts 19L to remove them so thatthe'top may be dethe strip'22f`and is provided with suitable fasteners 23a which may be det-ached when the top is removed.v By bringing the upholstery A`on to the Strip 22 and fastening it there the oint betweenV the strip and the deck is covered and the appearance of the structure iinproved.

The front upper portion of the top is detachably connected to the upper rail 9 of the windandspray shield.' rThis is accomplished b f' means of a transverse rail 24 attached to the under side of the top so as to come directly over the upper rail of the frame 9. Screws 25 pass upwardly through the upper rail of the wind shield into` the rail 24 and thread into -nuts 26 seated in recesses made in the rail At the rearand upper portion of the top7` rcentrally thereof, and between the if'indows 18 an opening 27vis made for Aentrance into the cockpit 2. The back 7 of the middle s `t directly in front of the opening 2,7 is folded down to the posit-ion shown in F 3 whereupon entrance is readily had, the one entering stepping upon the folded back 7 and thence to the floor of thecockpit withoi'it in any mannerV stepping upon the upholstery of the seats.

position. e y The opening 27 through whichentrance had to the cockpit is closed by va flexible water andweather tight closure. it each side and at the front endV of the opening 27 are frame members 28 ofthe top and also `at various spaced apart points transversely of the top are other frame members 28u. A' guidefor the closure is provided by securing the Z-bar members 29 to the top, the saine extending along each side of the closure and then forward toward the frontend of the top for a distance beyond the end of the opening 27.

The closureconsists of a. plurality of slats 3 0 which lie parallel to each other with their ends extending' underneath tlieoverhanging flanges of the Z-bar guides 29. A flexible connection and cover 3l of canvas or equivalent material connects all of the slats 30. A welt 32 lies adjacent each edge and at the outer side of the closure thus made, over which flexible metal strips 33 are secured, the'same lying underneath the oveii'hanging guide flanges of the guides 29 as best shown in Fig.4 6.

The ends of the slats ride upon inner guides 34 as shown in F 6 which are bent back upon themselves intoA U-shape, as indicated at 35, so thatthey serve as drains for any water which Vmay `be shipped and which enters between the closure and the guides 29 therefor. At the front end of the opening 27 suitable weatherv stripping 33 may be providedto exclude water and spray as shown in Theback is then turned to upper` Fig. 5. The closurel at its `lower end is equipped with a handle 3'? 'for moving the same along the guides 29 and the top is further equipped with hand rails 38 which may vbe grasped by those entering the cockpit.

drain isformed by a wooden strip 34 upon l which a metal track strip a is located. The

space between these strips and the member 29a serves as a drain troughto carry away any water which enters the joint.

The construction has proved very practical in all respects. rEhe attachment ofthe top to the hull is simple yet particularly effective andall attaching devices are completely covered and disguised yet are readily accessible when access rto them, is-needed. Maximum space for seating purposes is provided by use i of the flexible sliding door. vDoors which swing outward or rinward do not lend lthemselves to economy of space nor Vto the attainment of thesymmetrical lines desired in 'a boat. But withthe flexible closure which l have devised both of these results are attained to the highest degree. The rear entrance door located centrally'of the boat as herein provided is always accessible regardless of the position of the boatat wharf, whereas side entrance passages require proper location of the boat to gain access to them. The folding` back of the center rear further lends itself to the attainment of a maximum seating capacity. The weather proofing construction used in connection with thel sliding door in-j sures that water will not enter when the closure is in closed positionA` Y Many variations in minor details of con-r struction may be resorted to without departing from the invention defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered aslimited to the specific disclosure made butt-o be comprehensive of all forms of structure ycoming within the scope of the claims appended hereto.-

I claim: v

1. A top. adapted to beapplied toa motor boat over a cockpit therein7 having depending back and sides, there being an opening in said back between the side edges thereof extending the full Vheight of said back and also extending forward for a distance in the top, a continuous guide at each side of said opening extending along the vertical and horizontal edges thereof, and a continuousflexible kico closure for said opening slidably mounted in the guides and movable to a position over the top wherein the opening is completely uncovered, or back to a position where the opening in the top and back is completely covered.A

2. top of the class desciibed having a depending back, there being an opening extending to full height of the back and forward a distance in the top located between the sides of said top and back, Z-bar guides secured to said top and back at each side of the opening and extending forward over the top in front of said opening, and a flexible closure slidably mounted between said guides for closing the opening or for uncovering the same.

3. A construction containing the elements in combination detined in claim 2, combined with a member located inside of said, guides and on which the ends of t-lie flexible closure ride, said member being of U-shaped form with a leg resting against the top andV said back and the other lyingV under the ends of saidclosure, substantially as for the purpose described.

1l. ln combination with a motor boat having a cockpit, and a wind shield frame located in the front of and above the cockpit, a wind shield hingedly mounted at its iippei-"edge to the opper rail of said frame', .a top detachably secured to the motor boat over the cockpit and extendingr over the wind shield frame, and fastening means passing through the upperv rail of the wind shield frame to detachably connect it with said top, said fastening means being covered and inaccessible when the wind shield is in lower operative position.

5. v,in combination with a motor boat having a cockpit, a wind shield frame secured to the motor boat transverselyT thereof, in front of and above said cockpit, a wind shield hingedly mounted atits upper edge on the upper rail of said frame whereby the wind shield may be swung forwardly and upwardly, a top removably attached to saidmotor boat and extending over the wind shield frame, a bar locate-d transversely of and at the under side of said top and secured thereto and screws passing upwardly through the upper rail of the wind shield frame to detachably connect the same to said bar, the lower ends of said screws being covered by the upper edge of the` wind vshield whenthe same is in lower operative position. Y y

6. ln combination with a motor boat having a cockpit, a top having depending back and sides located over said cockpit, fastening means forsecuring kthe top at the lower edges of its back and sides to the motor boat, a lining for vthe'cockpit and detachable means for connecting the lining at its upper edges to the innervsides of the cockpit, said lining covering the fastening means used to secure the si des' of'said top to said motor boat.

7. A combination with a motor boat having a cockpit, a top over said cockpit having depending back and sides, rails at the inner sides and upper edges of saidv cockpit attached to the inner sides of the motor boat, a deck cross member extending transversely across the same at the back of the cockpit,

bolts passing through said rails and deck member and connectingwvith the sides and back of the top at their lower edges for secan ing the same in place, said bolts havingy nuts at their lower ends, a lining to said cockpit at each side thereof, and snap fasteners `at the upper edges of said lining and on the side rails for detachably connecting said linings to the side railsat their upper edges.

8. A top Vfor motor boats having depending `sides and back,saidftop having an opening extending substantially the full height of the back andiforward a distance in the top, guides i :it each side of the openingrattaclied to the' outer sides of said back and top, said guides extending forward of the front end of said' opening, drainv members located within said guides against the back and top, a flexible closure comprising a plurality of transverse slats connected together by a flexible covering, said slats extending underneath said guides and resting upon said drain members,

whereby the opening in the top may be unrcovered or closed, andk water coming against the upper side of said top or said closure may be drained away by said drain members; y

9. A construction containing the'eleinents in combination defined in claim 8, combinedv with a flexible metal strip attached to .thev

outer side ofand to the ends of said slats, said strips lying underneath the guides.

ln testimony whereof l aflix my signature.

WALTER s. sMiTii. 

